Classical Conversations

Pianist and radio host Sarah Cahill joins us for a thoughtful discussion about her ongoing performance and recording project The Future is Female. She's recently released the second album in the series, subtitled The Dance, with ten tracks by women across time and space, from the French Baroque composer Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre to the modern-day composer, cellist, and vocalist Theresa Wong, whom Sarah commissioned for this disc.

As the war in Ukraine rages on, GRAMMY® Award-winning Ukrainian-American pianist Nadia Shpachenko offers the album INVASION with music by the composer Lewis Spratlan. As she watched in horror her home city of Kharkiv (and the rest of Ukraine) being destroyed and civilians being murdered every day, Shpachenko tried to come up with ways to express her feelings of utter despair and anger, as well as hope and resilience, through her music making. In addition to performing fundraising concerts featuring music by Ukrainian composers, she decided to put together a new album to support Ukraine humanitarian aid. Reference Recordings is proud to release this album, with 100% of proceeds benefitting Ukrainian people affected by the war. Shpachenko commissioned Ukrainian artists to create paintings/artworks to use in the album booklet, online and in-­person galleries, and the accompanying music videos, as their responses to the music. Also featured are artworks made by children in Kharkiv, as their responses to the war. keep reading... Visit Nadia's website at https://nadiashpachenko.com/

As both a virtuoso sax player and a BBC3 radio personality, Jess Gillam is a "double-threat," known for her infectious personality as well as for her irresistible performances. Having just made her Carnegie Hall debut, Jess took a few moments to chat with us about her career, as well as her album Time from Decca Classics.

Acclaimed baritone Keith Phares joins us in the WGTE studios to talk about his career, share musical excerpts, and preview his upcoming Faculty Recital at Bowling Green State University on November 2nd. Recital Details (BGSU website) http://keithphares.squarespace.com/ (Photo of Keith Phares in the studio with WGTE's Brad Cresswell)

Superstar vioinist Hilary Hahn joins us to talk about her album ECLIPSE, from Deutsche Grammophon records. A celebration of Hilary's return to the stage (after a year-long sabbatical), ECLIPSE documents her artistic growth during that experience – represented by three wonderful works that speak to Hilary's virtuosity in different ways. Listeners will revel in Hilary's performance of Pablo de Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy (which Hilary had never performed before), and a brilliant rendition of Dvořák's sprightly violin concerto. The centerpiece of the program, however, is the violin concerto by Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera. Intricately layered, sometimes powerful and sometimes almost painfully intimate, Ginastera's concerto is given a spectacular performance from Hilary, running the gamut from fierce virtuosity to glass-like delicacy.

Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson talks about his deeply personal album From Afar, released by Deutsche Grammophon records on October 7th, 2022. The album reflects Ólafsson’s musical DNA, from childhood memories growing up in Iceland to his international career and contemporary inspirations, recorded on both grand and upright pianos. https://vikingurolafsson.com/ Photos (c) Ari Magg

Superstar cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason joins us to talk about his latest album from Decca Records, SONG, which features an eclectic mix of folk tunes, classical, jazz and pop - including Sheku's own composition and arrangements.

Cast members and creatives for Toledo Opera's production of "Blue" join us to talk about the work and how it uses a 400 year old artistic platform (opera) to address contemporary issues faced by the African American community. We also hear vocal excerpts from "Blue" sung by Kenneth Kellogg and Aundi Marie Moore, with Kevin Bylsma at the piano. Joining us are: Tazewell Thompson, librettist for "Blue" and director of Toledo Opera's production Chelsea Tipton II, conductor Kenneth Kellogg, bass, the Father Aundi Marie Moore, soprano, the Mother Toledo Opera is a sponsor of WGTE programs. You can find more info on Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson's "Blue" at toledoopera.org.

Dr. Naomi André, a celebrated musicologist and scholar, is a frequent contributor to the community discussions surrounding the new opera "Blue" and its production at Toledo Opera. In this conversation with WGTE's Brad Cresswell, Dr. André sheds light on where "Blue" not only fits into the traditional operatic canon, but how operas like this are directly relevant to today's societal issues of race relations, and point the way to the future of the art form itself. "Blue" with music by Jeanine Tesori and libretto by Tazewell Thompson is being produced by Toledo Opera in August 2022, more information here: https://www.toledoopera.org/upcoming-performances/season-event/blue/. Toledo Opera is a sponsor of WGTE programs.

The wonderful Neave Trio has appeared on FM 91 several times in the past. Now they have a new album out called Musical Remembrances, that contains some of the best-loved piano trios in the repertoire. Cellist Mikhail Veselov joins us for a conversation about the album and the music by Rachmaninoff, Ravel, and Brahms – all of it united through the concept of remembrance.